Hospitals prodded to deliver quality health care to meet global standards

THERE is no denying that Filipino health-care professionals stand out globally—thousands of doctors, nurses and other workers in the industry continue to be in demand across the world each year. Back home, however, local medical facilities still play catchup in order to make the Philippines an international hub for health care. While the country landed on the fifth spot in the most competitive economy in Southeast Asia in the recent global competitiveness report released by the World Economic Forum, it still lags in three pillars, including health. To date there are 14 internationally accredited healthcare facilities in the Philippines.

As hospitals and clinics continuously step up to upgrade their facilities and services, one organization is helping them shape up to achieve world-class status.

HealthCore, the center for international quality accreditation for health-care and medical tourism in the Philippines, has been breathing life into the country’s goal to become globally competitive in the health-care arena. Since its establishment in 2010, HealthCore has been pushing the industry improve the quality of the hospitals and medical facilities in the country.

“As the Asean representative of various international certification organizations, we promote the globalization of health care,” HealthCore President and Chief Executive Officer Joyce Socao-Alumno said. “From Day One our advocacy is to help bring the quality of our medical facilities at par with international/global standards.”

She explained that they assist various stakeholders involved in international health-care management, medical and wellness tourism, and retirement services to achieve global competitiveness, excellent patient service and outcomes, and enhanced bottom line through education, international accreditation and strategic approaches.

“In a bid to make the Philippines and the Asean become a global health-care destination, HealthCore has committed itself to become part of the journey to deliver world-class health care, particularly in the areas of academy, accreditation, consultancy and trading,” Alumno said.

Recognizing the challenges that hospitals and clinics face in trying to be globally competitive, HealthCore organizes workshops, seminars and on-site trainings that provide insights on how they can acquire international accreditation from International Organization for Standardization, Temos and International Society for Quality Healthcare, accrediting bodies like JCI and the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers.

Part of its recent initiatives include the training of health-care professionals on the revised version of the ISO 9001:2015 BS EN 15224: 2016. Supported by the Department of Health, Philippine Hospital Association and the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines, HealthCore, as the Asean representative of Swiss Approval, discussed the implementing guidelines and best practices for the audit and certification of quality management systems and patient safety in health-care services.

HealthCore also offers consultancy services in the areas of operational efficiency, patient care, facility management and safety, infection control, continuous quality improvement and quality audit tools, as prescribed by international accreditation standards. It has recently concluded a talk on reinventing health care through patient-centered hospital designs.

All these, Alumno said, are geared toward helping the Philippines push its huge potential in the area of medical tourism, a market that is estimated to be worth $22 billion. Currently, the country ranks 19th in the overall global ranking according to the Medical Tourism Index.

As hospitals and clinics work toward that goal, with support from the government, HealthCore is relentlessly working behind the scenes to push for global competitiveness.

“In terms of international standards, the Philippines is well on its way to get a clean bill of health,” Alumno said. “As we have in the beginning, we at HealthCore will continue to play our role to reach this goal—one medical facility at a time.”